Awards
Clark was nominated for his first Academy Award for his role as Peter Warne in It Happened One Night. On Wednesday, February 27, 1935, he attended the ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel begrudgingly, certain he would not win. It was much to his surprise that he did–beating out William Powell for The Thin Man and Frank Morgan for The Affairs of Cellini.
The Oscar was presented to him by host Irvin S. Cobb.
The film was nominated for a total of five Oscars and won every one of them: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Writing, Adaptation. It stands as the first picture to sweep all the major awards (supporting actor awards were not given out at that time). Since then, only two other films have repeated that feat: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Silence of the Lambs.
Clark was also nominated in 1936 for Mutiny on the Bounty but lost to Victor McLaglen for The Informer. Clark had been nominated as Best Actor alongside his costars Franchot Tone and Charles Laughton. Because of the awkwardness of having three actors from the same film compete for the same award, the idea for Best Supporting categories was hatched and they were presented for the first time the following year.
Clark’s third and final nomination was in 1940 for Gone with the Wind. Despite the film breaking records and walking off with eleven total awards, Clark lost to Robert Donat for Goodbye, Mr. Chips in what was considered a huge upset. It was leaked out later that Clark had in fact come in third, after James Stewart for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Contrary to popular belief, Clark did not attend the 1940 Academy Awards.
Clark’s Oscar now resides in the Academy Museum.
Golden Globes
1959 Best Actor Musical/Comedy for Teacher’s Pet
(lost to Danny Kaye, Me and the Colonel)
1960 Best Actor Musical/Comedy for But Not For Me
(lost to Jack Lemmon, Some Like It Hot)
Laurel Awards
1958 Top Male Comedy Performance for Teacher’s Pet
(3rd place to Glenn Ford, Don’t Go Near the Water; Jack Lemmon, Operation Mad Ball)
2 Comments
Isabelle
I read that Clark had given the award to a kid who later returned it, after Clark’s death, to the Gable family. True story?
Thanks
admin
Yes, his Academy Award. He gave it to Richard Lang, son of Walter and Fieldsie Lang. After Clark died, Richard gave it to Clark’s newborn son, who later sold it.